Merck Says Plaintiffs' Vioxx Claims Improperly Joined, Moves to Sever

NEW ORLEANS - Merck & Co. Inc. has moved to sever the claims of three Vioxx plaintiffs, stating that the disparate facts concerning each plaintiff are central to the resolution of their claims. In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1657 (E.D. La.).

Merck said in a Dec. 7 motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana that the claims of Illinois residents Charles Stalnaker, Loren Navel and Mildred Grisko are improperly joined under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 20(a) because they do not arise from the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions …